The present invention is generally directed to shredders and, more specifically, to a safety feature(s) for shredders and/or a method of shredding material.
Conventional shredders can be operated in at least one of three operating modes. The first operating mode is an “off” mode in which the shredder blades are deactivated and no shredding of material can take place. The second operating mode is an “on” mode in which the shredder blades continually rotate to shred any material inserted into the shredder. The third operating mode is an “automatic” mode in which the shredder blades are automatically activated when the shredder detects that material is being inserted into the shredder. However, regardless of whether a shredder is operating in “on” mode or in “automatic” mode, continued heavy use can result in a shredder overheating. Typically, when a shredder motor overheats the shredder motor stops operation until a the temperature of the motor is reduced below a predetermined level.
Unfortunately, the first indication that a user has that the shredder motor is overheating is when the shredder stops functioning. This makes it difficult for a user to determine which materials caused the shredder to start to overheat. It also makes it difficult to modify the use of the shredder to avoid an overheat situation. Once a shredder has halted due to the overheating of the shredder motor, it can take twenty minutes or more for the shredder motor to cool sufficiently for the shredder to again be functional. Additionally, should the shredder fail to become inoperative during an overheat situation, a fire or burn hazard may be created. At a minimum, this can cause inefficiencies in business operations and, at a maximum, can result in the temporary cessation of business altogether.
It may be advantageous to provide a shredder and a method of shredding material that: preferably provides increased safety for users; preferably monitors motor temperature and issues a warning when a potential predetermined overheat condition is approaching.